86 replies to this topic

[LesterFan]

The biggest difference between 2012 Melky and 2011 Melky is BABIP, really. His walk rate is identical to his career, strikeout rate a little higher. ISO is .170 this season, .164 last season. His BABIP is up to .379 this season, up 47 points from last season. A big reason for that is probably because he's hitting more groundballs and less flyballs than ever, (52% and 26%, respectively).

So who knows how much his 146 wRC+ season is a player entering his prime having some great BABIP luck vs PEDs. Maybe a mixture of both.

Edited by LesterFan, 16 August 2012 - 02:13 AM.

[jon abbey]

Don't forget about the big jump from his entire previous career to 2011, it's quite possible he started last season.

[Shaky]

Of course the Yankees had home field IIRC in the 2003 WS when a juicing Giambi hit two HR in a Game 7 of the ALCS that was decided in extra innings. Is that really much different?

Are you contending that the team Giambi hit those HRs against in the ALCS was clean in 2003?

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

One interesting tidbit I heard on the radio: Cabrera is second in the NL in batting and first in hits, making it conceivable that McCutcheon could choke his lead away down the stretch and lose the batting title to him. But you need 502 PA to qualify for the batting title. Cabrera? Currently at 501. Poetic justice.

The current rule is to add as many 0 for 1 ABs to the total to get a guy able to qualify for the title. So they'll add an o for 1 to Cabrera's line and use that in the batting title race at the end of the season.

[75cent bleacher seat]

One interesting tidbit I heard on the radio: Cabrera is second in the NL in batting and first in hits, making it conceivable that McCutcheon could choke his lead away down the stretch and lose the batting title to him. But you need 502 PA to qualify for the batting title. Cabrera? Currently at 501. Poetic justice.

Not really. They just add a hitless PA to his record.

So, theoretically Cabrera can win the batting title as did Tony Gwynn did in 1996 with 498 plate appearances, correct? Wonder if MLB would allow that given the circumstances. I cant help but wonder how he expected to go undetected given all players are test twice a year. Delusional perhaps?

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

McCutchen's still leading the batting race, so it's likely Melky won't win it.

[brs3]

McCutchen's still leading the batting race, so it's likely Melky won't win it.

A player needs 502 at bats to be eligible for the batting title. Melky has 501 ABs for the 2012 season.

[MakMan44]

A player needs 502 at bats to be eligible for the batting title. Melky has 501 ABs for the 2012 season.

Did you ignore the two post referencing that "problem"? They'll just a 0-1 to his AB line at the end of the season which would qualify him for the Batting Title

McCutchen's still leading the batting race, so it's likely Melky won't win it.

MLB must be praying that Cutch keeps this up so they don't give it to Melky

Edited by MakMan44, 16 August 2012 - 10:32 AM.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

A player needs 502 at bats to be eligible for the batting title. Melky has 501 ABs for the 2012 season.

Sigh. And like I just said above, a player can have as many 0 for 1s added to his batting line as necessary to make him eligible for the batting title. Melky will have a single 0 for 1 added to his line, and that line will be used to determine if he wins the batting title.

EDIT: as MM notes above.

[mt8thsw9th]

So,home field advantage in the world series was decided based on the actions of a guy suspended for using performance enhancers? That pretty much sums up MLB.

I didn't watch the game, but based on this I'm guessing Melky pitched a shutout in addition to driving in X runs. That's Herculean.

[EddieYost]

...and it is 502 plate appearances to qualify, not at bat.

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

He is eligible to come back for the second round of the playoffs but based on what the media is saying here, it doesn't sound as if they will take him back (if the Giants are to get that far).


You can call him stupid but frankly the way his career was tracking before last season, he was likely looking at just hanging on to an MLB roster spot (if that) by the end of this season. On the other hand, over the past season and a half, his performance had him looking at a pretty decent contract for 2013 and beyond. While I don't condone the behavior, he was being entirely economically rational here.

Edited by DeJesus Built My Hotrod, 17 August 2012 - 01:11 PM.

[loshjott]

At least he doesn't qualify for the batting title.

[Lose Remerswaal]

At least he doesn't qualify for the batting title.

Except he does.

[loshjott]

Really? I couldn't tell from reading the thread.

[YTF]

THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST TIME IT COUNTS

[EddieYost]

Really? I couldn't tell from reading the thread.

Funny. I listened to Felger and Mazz yesterday for a bit. Felger was insinuating that MLB timed the suspension so that he wouldn't qualify for the batting title.

[priestvalon]

Funny. I listened to Felger and Mazz yesterday for a bit. Felger was insinuating that MLB timed the suspension so that he wouldn't qualify for the batting title.

It was a pretty blatant "screw you" to MLB by being so obvious about it, and not even trying to hide it (according to Conte.)

No way should he win the batting crown if he's caught in a no-doubt way and admits it. The rules should be in place to make that impossible, anyway.

[75cent bleacher seat]

Except he does.

In the event he "wins" it, does Selig have the authority to deny him?

[Average Reds]

In the event he "wins" it, does Selig have the authority to deny him?

The only limit on Selig's authority under the "best interests of the game" clause is his sense of shame.

So yes, he has the power to do so. Whether he uses it or not is another matter. And my guess is that he would not.

[Meff Nelton]

In the event he "wins" it, does Selig have the authority to deny him?

Huh? Does Bud have a DeLorean and a wicked splitter to get Cabrera out an extra ten or so times over the past four months? Otherwise, it seems to me that if nobody bats higher than .346, Cabrera's got this.

Maybe Bud can give Mike Trout the Cy Young while we're at it. Shit, he's been good enough.

[RFG]

In a bizarre attempt to avoid a 50-game drug suspension, San Francisco Giants star Melky Cabrera created a fictitious website and a nonexistent product designed to prove he inadvertently took the banned substance that caused a positive test under Major League Baseball’s drug program.
But instead of exonerating Cabrera of steroid use, the Internet stunt trapped him in a web of lies. Amid the information-gathering phase of his doping case last month, his cover story unraveled quickly, and what might have been a simple suspension has attracted further attention from federal investigators and MLB, the Daily News has learned.

NYDailyNews

[RGREELEY33]

[/left][/color]

NYDailyNews

That's pretty ballsy and incredibly stupid. He deserves more punishment than the 50 games imo.

[Harry Hooper]

I believe ESPN SportsCenter just quoted someone at MLB saying no additional discipline is envisaged, which is ludicrous given the deceptive maneuvers pursued by Cabrera.

[MakMan44]

I can't believe that A) he thought that would work and B) he would actually go to such lengths to avoid the suspension.

[Lowrielicious]

I can't believe that A) he thought that would work and B) he would actually go to such lengths to avoid the suspension.

I would think there is next to zero chance that any of the cover-up story was Melkys idea.

Cabrera associate Juan Nunez, described by the player’s agents, Seth and Sam Levinson, as a “paid consultant” of their firm but not an “employee,” is alleged to have paid $10,000 to acquire the phony website.

Melky is a FA at the end of the year. The story was fabricated/created (or attempted to be) by a "paid consultant" to Melkys agents. Who just happen to be the guys who stand to make a nice slice of Melkys next payday. A payday which will be considerably smaller after sitting out the rest of the season and having a guilty PED verdict hanging over his head.

I'm pretty sure Melky wasn't sitting around between cuts in the batting cage thinking up a story like this in an attempt to get out of a conviction. Much more likely that his agents came to him with the plan and told him it is his only (slim) chance of getting away with it Braun-style.

Edited by Lowrielicious, 20 August 2012 - 01:10 AM.

[Chainsaw318]

I would think there is next to zero chance that any of the cover-up story was Melkys idea.

[/font][/color]

Melky is a FA at the end of the year. The story was fabricated/created (or attempted to be) by a "paid consultant" to Melkys agents. Who just happen to be the guys who stand to make a nice slice of Melkys next payday. A payday which will be considerably smaller after sitting out the rest of the season and having a guilty PED verdict hanging over his head.

I would guess that "paid consultants" who are already being classified as not "employees" gives the agent just enough ethics wiggle room to not be dragged in front a certifying body for fraud, and the Levinsons have some huge clients, but this move looks crazily like trying to setup or preserve fraud to me.

I would love a SoSH lawyer to drop some science on the gray area involved of "agents" of the player or player agent acting illegally on their behalf, with or without their knowledge.

Seems fascinating, but shady.

EDIT: But probably not illegal, right?

Edited by Chainsaw318, 20 August 2012 - 01:51 AM.

[YTF]

Gee..........so refreshing to have read that he just fessed up and offered no excuses.

[DrewDawg]

[/left][/color]

NYDailyNews

He was just trying to delay the suspension by one day to get the requisite number of PAs to qualify for the batting title.

[86spike]

Please tell me A-Rod's cousin Yuri was the guy making the fake website!

[Freddy Linn]

In the Connecticut-California LL game last night, they had intros for about thirty players (recorded before the competition started). Maybe six of them named Melky as their favorite player.

[gaelgirl]

Melky was HUGELY popular among Giants fans, especially kids. I'm not surprised. I am guessing those kids have new favorite players now. Fucking Melky. Idiot.

[johnmd20]

Melky was HUGELY popular among Giants fans, especially kids. I'm not surprised. I am guessing those kids have new favorite players now. Fucking Melky. Idiot.

Please. The number of players still using PED's is probably still pretty high. Melky just got caught. Nothing has been cleaned up and it's naive to think that it has. When 10-15 million dollar contracts are on the line, people will try to find an edge.

[Lose Remerswaal]

He was just trying to delay the suspension by one day to get the requisite number of PAs to qualify for the batting title.

Except he doesn't need any additional PAs to qualify.

[MakMan44]

Cutch is now at .345 on the season. Suprised more people aren't talking about this. Melky now has an actual shot at winning this.

[gaelgirl]

Please. The number of players still using PED's is probably still pretty high. Melky just got caught. Nothing has been cleaned up and it's naive to think that it has. When 10-15 million dollar contracts are on the line, people will try to find an edge.

Where did I say that the number of players using PEDs isn't high or that the sport has been cleaned up? I said that Melky was an idiot, which he was, and that all those kids who loved him probably have new favorite players now, which they probably do. So... yeah. You're probably right, there likely are more players using PEDs, and guaranteed seven+-figure contracts they otherwise might not get are a great motivation to do so.

[HriniakPosterChild]

And now Melky pulls the plug, with the cooperation of the MLBPA and Bud (God bless him):

Cabrera contacted the union to ask for help in removing his name from consideration for the batting title. Selig then agreed to suspend the rule.

“I respect his gesture as a sign of his regret and his desire to move forward, and I believe that, under these circumstances, the outcome is appropriate, particularly for Mr. Cabrera’s peers who are contending for the batting crown,” Selig said in a statement.